Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1963)

/lie 'Doing, f MERCHANDISING & t Exhibitor Variations on Terror' Theme Ring Out Pleasant B.O. Tune TERRIFYING campaign in San Diego for Crown International' s "Terrified" included tour of city by hearse and "undertaker" . TRACY OLSEN, right, distributes "terror test" registration cards at San Diego supermarket. Kahn tipped at Columbia Richard Kahn recently was named national coordinator of advertising, publicity and exploitation of Columbia Pictures, it was announced by Robert S. Ferguson, vice president. Kahn had been handling "Lawrence of Arabia," and previously was Columbia exploitation mgr. SALUTE. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Stack (he's starring in UA's "The Caretakers") salute Jerome Baker, manager of Washington, D. C.'s RKO Keith, for campaign. Give an enterprising exhibitor a solid exploitation theme, and nine times out of ten, he'll back it to the showmanship hilt, applying his own variations to produce a smash boxofhce tune. That theory is being tested quite successfully by Crown International Pictures for "Terrified," the firm's latest exploitation-oriented release. Campaigns that kept theatre cashiers busy in Salt Lake City and San Deigo are the most recent testimonials to the b.o. sock of this smoothly oiled producer-exhibitor team-up. With key company personnel extending full co-operation to local theatremen, Crown started with the basic gimmick, a "Terror Test." Keyed to an amusing — and at the same time, attention-getting — "TQ," for "terror quotient," special printed cards were disseminated widely and employed in radio, television and newspaper advertising for the picture. The "TQ" test allowed the public to check themselves individually on their ability to withstand shock and terror, according to a rating system that ranged from "steel nerves" to "terrified." Free burial arrangements for those whose "terrified" state resulted in death was yet another audience-attracting angle keyed to the basic theme of terror. Equipped with these showmanship aids, Warren Bunting, general manager of Sero Amusement Company, Salt Lake City, played the "terror test" gimmick for all it was worth at local level. He gave the ABC station an exclusive on a special midnight showing, specially priced at $1.00. A disc jockey popularity contest offered the winner "burial alive." The resourceful exhibitor placed a coffin on an open hearse parked in front of the theatres where "Terrified" was to play, and had the hearse driven around town for street ballyhoo effect. Remote station hookups were set from theatre, and the winning disc jockey was "entombed" and took the terror test with his listeners at the midnight opening. A parchment certificate (available through the pressbook) also was distributed at the film's bow. The San Diego push, for a four-theatre multiple engagement, introduced still more variations on the basic Crown theme, with the results recorded in long lines. A personal appearance by Tracy Olsen, fern star of "Terrified," included a key to San Diego from the Mayor, the whole range of radio and TV interviews and attendance at all four movie houses. Other key aspects of the drive, engineered by Donna Powers, included a tie-up with 27 Mayfair Markets for distribution of "terror test" cards at checkout counters. 20th Hires Agency To Map Long Push for 'Move Over' The need to promote a picture sufficiently so that it does not run the risk of slipping unobtrusively into the theatre is pretty much taken for granted today. But the truly long-range campaign, beginning at the picture's inception (even before actual shooting starts) and following straight through to exhibiton, still is an all-too-rare showmanship commodity. 20th Century-Fox apparently has recognized the need to promote in advance. The firm recently appointed Carson/ Roberts/Inc, Los Angeles ad agency, to develop an overall program to run concurrently with the production of "Move Over, Darling." According to Ralph Carson, C/R president, the agency will begin at once with a day-by-day ad campaign aimed at all media, but with special emphasis on the trade press. Later, as release nears, stress will move to consumer media. All promotional outlets, including trade and consumer press, national magazines, TV and radio, will be employed. DORIS DAY learns from, left to right. Jack Roberts, Carson/ Roberts /Inc. executive vice president, Ralph (arson, president, and Ken Sullet, creative director, that their slogan. "Hat e a Happy Day!" now applies to her starring role in "Move Over, Darling." which agency is promoting for 20th-l:ox. Film BULLETIN July 22, 1963 Page 15